When new energy vehicles turn the cabin into a 'third space', automotive interior fabric is no longer just a layer of cloth covering the seats. A closed-door symposium held in Shanghai on September 2 unexpectedly brought together giants like FAW, XPeng, Autoliv and leading textile material suppliers such as Shenda, Kuangda and Huafon Microfibre. The core signal from the meeting: automotive textile materials are upgrading from a supporting role to a functional carrier of intelligent cockpits, and the urgency of supply chain collaboration has never been stronger.
Background
The symposium was organized by the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA) as a high-level internal communication, but the attendee list speaks volumes. From the OEM side came material development leaders from FAW's R&D institute and XPeng's interior cabin chief; Autoliv's vice president of supply chain management also joined. On the material side, almost all leading automotive interior fabric companies were present, including Shenda, Kuangda, Senzhi, Huafon Microfibre, Huamao Technology and Bionwich. Notably, the deputy secretary-general of the Automotive Lightweight Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance also attended, indicating that this was not just an internal textile industry affair.
Industry data shared at the meeting deserve attention: China's automotive nonwoven materials have built a complete industrial chain covering R&D, design, processing and testing, with a number of enterprises specializing in automotive applications. However, CNITA Vice President Ji Jianbing noted that the industry is at a critical juncture of transformation toward lightweight, functional, ecological and intelligent solutions. In early 2026, CNITA initiated the preparation of an automotive textile materials branch, aiming to consolidate resources across the fragmented supply chain.
Industry Impact
The sharpest topic at the meeting was the lack of unified standards. Wang Jianbing from FAW stated bluntly that there is still no unified national standard for automotive interior textile materials, which directly leads to fragmented practices and prevents the sharing of testing and certification resources. For a fabric supplier, this means the same product may require multiple tests for different OEMs, wasting time and money. From an industry perspective, the lack of standards is becoming the biggest hidden obstacle to the adoption of new materials.
Ma Jia from XPeng provided a more concrete list of requirements from an OEM perspective: extreme surface touch, acoustic noise reduction and thermal management, lightweight and durability, and environmental friendliness with closed-loop recycling. Behind these four demands lies the inevitable evolution of intelligent cockpits from 'passive response' to 'active companionship'. When cabins begin to support office, entertainment and social functions, interior fabrics must simultaneously address tactile experience, acoustic comfort, thermal comfort and sustainability. For textile companies, this means they can no longer just be fabric suppliers; they must become functional solution providers for the intelligent cabin system.
Li Wenhao from Autoliv reminded of another easily overlooked trend: as domestic OEMs accelerate overseas expansion, the demand for supporting textile enterprises to 'go global' is exploding. However, overseas requirements for standard alignment and compliance are far more complex than domestic ones. Without industry-level guidance, individual companies may easily stumble. This is essentially a call for the association to play a role similar to an 'overseas coordinator', helping enterprises achieve smooth transitions in standards, regulations and certification.